The present invention relates generally to soap dispensing and apparatus for accomplishing the same.
Public restrooms, and other places where hand cleaning occurs, nearly always have either foamed soap or liquid soap available for use. Typically, the foamed soap is delivered from a dedicated dispenser for dispensing only foamed soap, while the liquid soap is delivered from different type of dedicated dispenser for dispensing only liquid soap. A dispenser for foamed soap includes a pump that mixes air and soap from a container to produce the foamed soap. A dispenser for liquid soap includes a conventional liquid pump to deliver liquid soap.
Accordingly, in view of the exemplary conventional systems for dispensing soap discussed above, a manufacturer must produce separate dedicated dispensers for the foamed and liquid soap and distinct foamed soap and liquid soap containers to use with these dedicated dispensers. Producing separate container and dispensers, or at the very least, separate dispensers, is expensive and inefficient. Moreover, if a consumer presently has a liquid soap dispenser but wants to switch to a foamed soap, the consumer must buy a new foamed dispenser and have the old liquid dispenser removed. Moreover still, if the consumer wants both liquid soap and foamed soap, then the consumer must install both a liquid dispenser and a foamed dispenser, and cannot use the dispensers interchangeably.
In view of the above disadvantages, it is desirable to have a system that allows for a consumer to purchase a universal dispenser that can receive both a foamed container and a liquid container. Such a system or assembly is more cost effective and easier for both the consumer and the manufacturer than the traditional system.